Card follower



Jan. 26, 1943. H. HEGEMElER n 2,309,245

CARD- FoLLowER .Filed Sept. l1, 1942 INVENTOR. HARRY HEGEME/ER.

ATTOR N EYS.

Patented Jan. 26, 1943 CARD FOLLOWVER Harry Hegemeier, Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The Globe-Wernicke Company, Norwood, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application September K11, 19412, Serial No. 157,983`

(Cl. 12S-27) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to card followers or the like which are used in filing containers for retaining cards or les in an upright position at all times. Normally the container has a longitudinal medial rod fastened near the bottom, and the card follower is mounted on this rod. Arrangements are so made that the follower may be moved towards the front of the container but may not be moved towards the back of the container, or in a rearward direction, unless some mechanical manipulation of the follower is done.

It is an object of my invention to provide a card follower of the above type, which may be formed Very inexpensively and preferably of wood or some other like material, and which will give completely satisfactory results with a minimum of manufacturing labor and material, and with a minimum of manipulations when using the follower.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a card follower device which can be manufactured with the minimum use of metal, and which will give as completely a satisfactory result as a very much more complicated metal follower.

'I'hese and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is now made to the drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my novel card follower mounted in a filing container.

Figure 2 is a cross section of the follower mounted on the carrying rod, taken on the section line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of my card follower, taken on the section line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention I provide a wooden rectangular following body or block I. Depending from the lower edge of the body I is a projection 2 which fits in the usual channel 3 in the bottom of a filing container. I provide a hole 4 in the projection 2 to mount the follower on the rod 5. The rod 5 may be of metal, but I preferably employ a wooden rod. The hole 4 is slightly tilted so as to throw the follower at an angle, as is clearly apparent in Figure 2.

To the reverse side of the follower I attach a resilient strap or strip 6. In one end of the strip 6 is a notch 'l which straddles the rod 5. The

other end 6a of the strap 6 is screwed or fastened in any usual manner to the rear face of the block I near the upper edge.

The block I has a curved depression or hollow S at least directly under a portion of the strap 6. The strap 6 is so mounted on the body I that the portion of the strap forming the notch 'l will partially cover the hole 4 when the follower I is not mounted on the rod 5.

When the follower is mounted on the rod 5, due to the placement of the attaching means oi the strap 6, the strap 6 will be slightly flexed, as is apparent in Figure 2, thus urging the notch l against the rod 5. In this position, as is apparent, the block I may be moved to the right in Figure 2, but the impinging of the notch 1 on the rod 5 will prevent any movement of the block to the left in Figure 2.

When it is desirable to move the block I to the left or rear of the container, the strap 6 is flexed to a greater degree into the hollow or depression 8. This, as is apparent, shortens the overall length of the strap I and pulls the notch l out of contact with the rod 5, thus permitting movement of the block I in either direction. Upon release of the strap 6, it will resume its former slightly flexed position and prevent rearward movement of the block I.

My block I is preferably made of wood, a1- though as is apparent, it could be made of any plastic or any material having a thickness. The strap 6 is preferably formed of metal, although any resilient material, such as plastic or the like, or possibly a thin strap of wood. would be satisfactory.

It will be noted that I have provided a card follower which is very simple to construct, and is formed of very few parts, and substantially cuts down the use of metal in its construction. It is to be understood that different forms of my preferred form may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A card follower for use in a filing container, having a longitudinal medial rod fastened near the bottom thereof, said follower comprising a flat body of substantial thickness and having a rod receiving hole near the bottom edge thereof, a resilient strip fastened at one end to the body near the upper edge, the strip having a notch in the other end partially covering the rod receiving hole, and a depression in the surface of the body underneath a portion of the strip, so that the strip may be bent into said depression to shorten the length of the same to an extent to completely uncover said hole.

2. In a ling container comprising at least a base having a longitudinal depression carrying a rod xed therein, a card follower comprising a substantially rectangular body having at one edge a thick depending portion containing a hole encircling Said rod, a resilient strap having a notch at one end straddling said rod, the other end of the strap being fastened to the body near the opposite edge, with the strap ilexed and bearing against the rod, a depression in said body under a portion of the strap to permit greater flexing of the same, whereby the contact between the rod and the strap is broken.

3. A card follower for use with a supporting rod, comprising a substantially rectangular wooden body having a depending portion containing a hole for encircling the rod, a resilient strap having a notch at one end thereof partially covering the hole, the other end of the strap fastened to the body, a space in the body under a portion of the strap so that upon flexing the strap into the space the notch will completely uncover the hole.

4. A card follower for use on a supporting rod, comprising a substantially rectangular body having a rod hole near the lower edge, a resilient strap terminating in a notch partially covering the hole, the other terminal of the strap fastened to the body, a depression in the body at least under a portion of the strap whereby flexing of the strap into the depression will pull the notch away from the hole so that the follower may be moved in one direction only when the strapl is out of the depression but both ways when said strap is flexed in the depression.

HARRY HEGEMEIER. 

